Electric circuit controlling appliance



Jan. 1', 1935. J A H 1,986,223

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 13, 1933 HINT W Invent 02" .tzzarngy Patented Jan. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPLIANCE 11 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide an electric circuit controlling appliance, particularly a fused switch, which is very simple and compact and which nevertheless has large current carrying and current rupturing capacity.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown the embodiment of the invention which I now deem preferable, but it will be understood that the-drawing is intended for illustrative purposes only and is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of thisspecification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

' Fig. 1 is a front view of an appliance embodying' the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the front cover and with the slot closing shield omitted.

Fig. 3 is a combined sectional and side view of the appliance, the enclosing box being shown in section and the fused switch being shown in elevation.

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, but with the switch parts in open-circuit position.

While not necessarily so limited the invention is well-adapted to be embodied in a fused switch and particularly ina switch of this type adapted for a plug fuse. A fused switch of the plug fuse type has been illustrated in the drawing and will now be described.

There is a main insulating base 1 upon which all of the other electrical parts of the appliance are supported or guided. The base is adapted 'to be secured to a rear supporting wall by means of screws 2, 2. This rear supporting wall will ordinarily be the rear wall of an enclosing casing 3 having an openable front cover 4. Preferably there is provided an insulating sheet 5 which is interposed between the base 1 and the rear wall of the casing and which may be regarded as a part of the rear supporting wall. This sheet 5 may be bent forward so that portions thereof are positioned at the sides of the base adjacent the respective side walls of the casing.

In accordance with the invention there is provided an annular insulating member 6 which engages portions of the base so as to be guided for rotative movement about its own axis. Preferably the base is formed with a groove 7 which is closed, or substantially closed, at the front and which is open at the rear. The insulating member 6 is positioned in this groove and is guided at the front by the front wall of the groove. Preferably the member 6 is guided at the rear and is held in place by means of the rear supporting wall, that is, in this case by the insulating sheet 5.

Two stationary switch contacts 8 and 9 are mounted on the base, being respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member 6. These switch contacts 8 and 9 are electrically connected respectively with wire terminals 10 and. 11 on the base.

Carried by the rotatively movable insulating member 6 is a conducting element 12 which extends through a suitable aperture in the said member. This element 12 is so positioned that, upon rotative movement of the member 12, it is moved intoor out of a position between the stationary contacts 8 and 9. Figs. 2 and 4 show the element 12 in its closed-circuit position between'the contacts, and Fig. 5 shows it in its open-circuit position out of engagement with the said contacts.

For manually moving the annular member 6 there is provided a handle 13 which extends forward through an arcuate slot 14 formed in the front cover 4 of the enclosing casing. Fig. 1 shows the handle 13 in the closed-circuit position with the element 12 in engagement with the stationary contacts 8 and 9, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. By moving the handle 13 to the right hand end of the slot 14 the element 12 can be disengaged from the contacts 8 and 9 to the open-circuit position shown in Fig. 5.

Preferably the handle 13 is offset outward from the annular member 6 as clearly shown in Fi 5, being thus positioned adjacent the upper arcuate edge 1 of the base. The handle 13 carries an arcuate shield 15 which serves to close the arcuate slot 14 not only when the handle is in closed-circuit position but also when it is in open-circuit position.

As already stated the invention is particularly applicable to a fused switch and when fuse contacts are provided they are so positioned that at least a portion of them is surrounded by the annular insulating member 6. This positioning of the fuse contacts effects a considerable economy of space and is particularly advantageous when the fuse contacts are of the type adapted for receiving a plug fuse. As illustrated the appliance includes a central contact 16 and a threaded shell 17 such as are ordinarily provided for a plug fuse. These contacts are concentric with the axis of the annular member 6 and they areelectrically interposed between the stationary switch contact 8 and the wire terminal 10. As illustrated the contact 8 is provided with an extension which is directly engaged by the screw which constitutes the center contact 16, and the shell 1'7 is connected with the terminal 10 by means of a conductor 18 of conventional type.

If desired the base 1 may be provided with a terminal 19 adapted for the connection of neutral wires.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base, an annular insulating member surrounding at least a portion of the base and directly guided thereby for rotative movement, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base having a circular groove therein, an annular insulating member rotatively movable in the groove, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member, wire terminals electrically connected respectively with the two contacts, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base having a circular groove therein closed at the front and open at the rear, an annular insulating member rotatively movable in the groove, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member, wire terminals electrically connected respectively with the two contacts, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base adapted to engage a rear supporting wall and having a circular groove therein closed at the front and open at the rear, an annular insulating member rotatively movable in the groove and guided at the front by the front Wall of the groove and at the rear by the rear supporting surface, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member, wire terminals VSCtTiCZLHY connected respectively with the two contacts, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base having acircular groove therein open at the rear and at least substantially closed at the front, an annular insulating member rotatively movable in the groove, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member, wire terminals electrically connected respectively with the two contacts, a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts, and a forward extending handle rigidly connected with the annular insulating member.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base, fuse contacts on the base accessible from the front thereof, an annular insulating member surrounding at least a portion of the fuse contacts and guided by the base for rotative, movement, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member and one of them being electrically connected with one of the fuse contacts, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

'7. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base, plug fuse contacts on the base accessible from the front thereof, an annular insulating member concentric with the fuse contacts and guided by the base for rotative movement, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member and one of them being electrically connected with one of the fuse contacts, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base having a circular groove therein closed at the front and open at the rear, fuse contacts on the base accessible from the front thereof and having at least a portion thereof surrounded by the said groove,

an annular insulating member rotatively movable in the groove, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member and one of them being electrically connected with one of the fuse contacts, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base adapted to engage a rear supporting wall and having a circular groove therein closed at the front and open at the rear, fuse contacts on the base accessible from the front thereof and having at least a portion thereof surrounded by the said groove, an annular insulating member rotatively movable in the groove and guided at the front by the front wall of the groove and at the rear by the rear supporting surface, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member and one of them being electrically connected with one of the fuse contacts, and a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base, fuse contacts on the base accessible from the front thereof, an annular insulating member surrounding at least a portion of the fuse contacts and guided by the base for rotative movement, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member and one of them being electrically connected with one of the fuse contacts, a

conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts, a forward extending handle rigidly connected with the annular insulating member, and an enclosing casing having in its front cover an arcuate slot through which a portion of the handle projects.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulating base having a circular groove therein closed at the front and open at the rear, fuse contacts on the base accessible from the front thereof and having at least a portion thereof surrounded by the said groove, an annular insulating member rotatively movable in the groove, two stationary switch contacts on the base respectively located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the annular member and one of them being electrically connected with one of the fuse contacts, a conducting element carried by the movable annular insulating element and adapted to engage and disengage the two stationary switch contacts, a handle rigidly connected with the annular insulating member and offset outward therefrom to permit it to extend forward adjacentan edge portion of the base, and an enclosing casing having in its front cover an arcuate slot through which a portion of the handle projects.

JOSEPH SACHS. 

